January 22nd, 2008
Two Synagogues, One Neighbourhood
There must be at least dozen synagogues within a five minute walk of St. Viateur and Hutchison, a busy corner at the heart of Montreal’s Hasidic Jewish neighbourhood. They exist in the midst of an equally large number of former synagogues, abandoned by more liberal Jewish congregations as they moved west in the 1950s.
Two examples can be seen above: the first is a newish building on St. Viateur, used by a Hasidic congregation, while the second is a much older synagogue that has been converted into a private residence. Look closely you can see two Stars of David and Hebrew inscriptions etched into its marble entranceway.
Montreal Apartments
Kate McDonnell says:
That explains the motorbikes that are always parked out front (there’s one in your picture, but I’ve seen several there). Was kind of hoping it was a chapter of Hell’s Rabbis.
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:14 am
Ian Rogers says:
Gehenna’s Rabbis, Kate, get your mythos straight!
:D
I know there’s quite a few former synagogues like that little one on Hutchison or the old B’nai Jacob (now College Francais). I would like to take a look at more out of historical interest, but have been having trouble finding the names and locations of closed synagogues in the area. Do you know of any lists or websites I could use to look that kind of info up?
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Cedric says:
Oh hey! I pass in front of that strange-looking house on the second photo every day! I thought that it was just that its builders had a taste for seafood restaurants or something!
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Christopher DeWolf says:
Ian, a handful of old synagogues are seen here:
http://emetgallery.org/pdf/KaufmanENGLISH.pdf
There’s also a pamplet available at the Mile End Library documenting the neighbourhood’s religious heritage.
If you want really detailed information, you should probably go to the Jewish Public Library. I’m sure there are plenty of resources there.
January 24th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Ian Rogers says:
Thanks, Chris - I will definitely hit up the Mile-End Library, and did not know about the Jewish Public Library but will definitely make a trip. Excellent tips, I salute you.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Patrick Donovan says:
The leaflet is:
Traces of Montreal’s Jewish Heritage: The Synagogues of the Plateau Mont-Royal in the 20th Century, octobre 2000 (Susan Bronson, Isabelle Bouchard, Gabriel Malo et Sara Tauben).
In addition to the leaflet, there’s a detailed inventory with files on each synagogue & photos in one or two spiral-bound volumes. It’s available at UdeM Faculte de l’Amenagement library - look up “The Synagogues of the Plateau Mont-Royal in the 20th century : preliminary inventory”
January 24th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Patrick Donovan says:
Oh, and the Canadian Jewish Congress Archives near Concordia has files on lots of former & current individual synagogues in Montreal.
January 24th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Donal Hanley says:
(oops sorry my computer went all funny) anyway..inquired what they were for. The first, the man said, is my house. The second is the synagogue where I go on the Sabbath. And the third, inquired the captain? The third, the man retorted, that is the synagogue I would not be caught dead in.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:55 am